Sugar: a not that sweet Fairy Tale

The more I learn throughout my holistic journey, the less I understand how sugar could take such a big place in our daily food consumption, knowing how harmful it is.

No, fats are not the evil. Healthy fats are necessary and great for you. Sugar is the one that should be avoided as much as possible. And no, I am not exaggerating. Sugar is one of the primary causes of our generation becoming chronically fatigued, stressed, sick, suffering from chronic inflammation and metabolism dysfunction.

You might think: oh, but I never add sugar in my food. Well, I would suggest you check the labels of all the foods you are eating, especially all processed foods. Sugar is hidden in more than 74% of processed foods - in your tomato sauce, salad dressing, tonic water, marinades, condiments, mustard, ketchup, crackers, and even your smoked salmon. It is everywhere, under many different names: Fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Agave, Glucose Solid, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Cane Juice, Dextrin, Dextrose, and so many more.

Sugar is TOXIC, more ADDICTIVE than cocaine, and DEADLY. Here's why.

1. Naturally Occurring vs. Added Sugar

Natural sugar itself is not that bad - because it never exists by itself. Sugar in nature comes in whole foods mixed with a variety of minerals, nutrients and fiber. Nature allows you to absorb and digest this natural sugar in the best way.

The problem is added sugar - this extra isolated component added to so many foods to make them taste better. And it is this taste that gets you addicted.

Sugar triggers inflammation, and inflammation is the basis of 96-98% of all diseases.

2. Fructose is Particularly Harmful

Because it is cheaper and 20% sweeter than regular table sugar, industrials started using Fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup in most processed foods.

Your body can metabolize no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day. But the average today is about 19-20 teaspoons per day. The excess sugar gets converted into fat, wrecks your hormones, inflames your body and leads to a higher risk of:

• -Type 2 Diabetes
• -Hypertension
• -Heart Disease
• -Lipid metabolism problems
• -Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• -Dementia

3. Dangerous Hormonal Imbalances

Excess fructose turns off your body's appetite control process. It fails to stimulate Insulin, and therefore the hormone Ghrelin (the "hunger" hormone) doesn't know it should stop signaling hunger. So people keep eating because they remain hungry. You develop Insulin Resistance - the start of many metabolic problems, particularly Type 2 Diabetes.

The metabolic dysfunction that results leads to weight gain, obesity (mostly abdominal), imbalanced cholesterol ratios, high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

4. Heart Damage

Sugar may affect the whole pumping mechanism of the heart, increasing your risk of heart failure.

5. Brain Damage

Sugar dramatically increases your aging process. There is a strong correlation between sugar consumption and the aging of your cells - particularly your brain cells. When you eat too much sugar, your brain constantly uses glucose as fuel in a way that can cause major brain disorders like dementia and Alzheimer's.

6. Sugar and Alcohol: Same Liver Damage

Sugar and alcohol have the exact same toxic effect on your liver. The way your body metabolizes sugar is the same as how it metabolizes ethanol. There are 3 common harmful pathways:

• -Both cause Insulin resistance leading to fatty liver (NAFLD)
• -Both cause excess production of free radicals, resulting in accelerated aging and inflammation
• -Both can stimulate the brain and induce habituation and dependence

Even slim people can develop a fatty liver due to excess sugar intake.

7. Cancer Cells Love Sugar

Cancer cells feed on sugar and their formation may be triggered by excess sugar. Fructose is readily available fuel that increases cancer cell proliferation. Cancer spreads much faster and thrives in a high-sugar environment.

Bad bacteria and fungus also thrive in a high sugar environment. Stopping feeding them is a very efficient way to weaken them.

How to Reduce Sugar

1. -Spend at least 80-90% of your food budget on organic fresh whole foods - vegetables, grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, eggs, nuts, seeds
2. -Read labels and eliminate all products with added sugars
3. -Replace sweet cravings with naturally sweet whole foods like berries
4. -Do NOT replace with artificial sweeteners like Aspartame or Sucralose - those are even worse
5. -Go gradually - because sugar is highly addictive, reducing step by step is more sustainable

Many people experience emotional rollercoasters, mood swings, lack of mental focus, energy ups and downs and brain fog, without realizing that their food has such an impact. These symptomatic behaviors are extremely common in people eating too much sugar - but common does not mean normal.

In Health and Happiness,

Stephanie